TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION G. 875 



could be industrially utilised in the manner suggested, we should to a large extent 

 be compensated for our lack of natural water power. 



But blast furnaces demand coke, and coal beds are exhaustible, so that even 

 if this source of mechanical and electrical energy be tapped it can only postpone, 

 but not avert, the final triumph of the waterfall and of the turbine. 



SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8. 

 The Section did not meet. 



MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10. 

 The following Papers were read : — • 

 1. The Automobile for Electric Street Traction. Bij J.O. W. Aldridge. 



2. The Manchester and Liverjyool Express Railway. 

 By Sir W. H. Prkege, F.R.S. 



A monorail line has been projected by Mr. Behr between Manchester and 

 Liverpool to accommodate express j)assenger traffic alone between those two cities. 

 It is to be worked by electric traction and to attain very high speeds. The train 

 is to consist of only one coach, weighing forty-tive tons and seating sixty-four 

 passengers. Starting at every ten minutes, and travelling at the mean rate of 

 110 miles an hour, it will do the distance of 34^ miles in twenty minutes. The 

 fares will be slightly lower than those charged at present. There will be no inter- 

 mediate stations, no points or crossings. There will thus be no necessity for 

 signals to protect the line during other operations. Signals would be needed 

 only to secure a perfect block system of working the line. The monorail railway 

 was projected by Lartigue in 1882. 



We have only one example of this sj-stem of railway in the United Kingdom, 

 viz., between Listowel and Ballybunion, in County Kerry, Ireland. This line 

 was designed and engineered by Mr. Behr. The Act was obtained in 1887, and the 

 line was opened for traffic in February, 1888, and it has been running ever since. 

 The line is 9^ miles long. It has one intermediate station, Liselton. There 

 are forty-two level and farm crossings. It is worked by steam. The train 

 consists of a locomotive and four coaches. It cost .3ci,000/. to build, or 3,0G0Z. per 

 mile. When I inspected the line in the early part of this year there had never 

 been a Board of Trade inquiry into any accident. The maintenance of the 

 structure had been effective. No rail had ever been turned. The mechanical 

 structure had exhibited no defects, but several breakdowns had occurred in the 

 locomotive and rolling stock. There are three locomotives, eleven passenger 

 coaches, and two brake vans. They had, however, continued to work the line 

 uninterruptedly for twelve years, and there had been no renewals or new stock. 

 Its main principle is the suspension of the coaches on a single elevated rail so 

 that their centres of gravity are below the rail. Each coach sits the rail like a 

 saddle. The rail is tixed on trestles ; which are tied and braced together, the tie 

 bars being light rails against which guide wheels roll. 



The Manchester and Liverpool Express is intended to be more massively and 

 rigidly built. Derailment on such a structure is impossible, and curves of com- 

 paratively small radius can be passed with safety at high speeds. Vibrations and 

 noise will be reduced, and travelling will be conducted with greater comfort than 

 at present. 



It is proposed to fix the generating station midway at Warrington, and to 

 transmit the electric energy at high pressure (10,000 volts) to each terminal 



